1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the building construction industry and more particularly to a triangular stackable building wall module which can be stacked with a plurality of identically formed modules to form a building wall.
2. Description of Prior Art and Objects
Building walls are typically constructed with a frame comprising a pair of upper and lower parallel beams spanned by a plurality of vertical, horizontally spaced apart studs. The individual frame components are delivered to the construction site where they are assembled. Thereafter, holes are drilled through the studs and the horizontal beams for receipt of wiring and plumbing. The inner edges of the studs are covered by interior panels such as wall board and the exterior edges of the studs are covered by exterior sheeting or paneling and siding or brick. Frequently, insulation fills the voids between the studs.
One of the problems with this prior art construction is the relative ease with which a fire can spread upwardly between the studs in the elongate vertical cavities formed by the studs and the beams. Once a fire starts in the inside of the prior art wall, it is easy for an upward draft to quickly upwardly propel the fire to the upper portions of the building. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and novel building unit which would inhibit the upward spreading of a fire in the wall of a building.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a building wall of the type described for encapsulating a fire in the wall and inhibiting it from quickly upwardly spreading from a lower portion of the building to the top of the building.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a building wall unit of the type described which will restrict the open airways which extend between the sill plate and the header in a building.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel building wall unit which will increase the fire rating of a building compared to the conventional construction.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and novel building wall module which will increase the fire rating of a building wall of predetermined dimensions compared to a prior art wall of similar dimensions by decreasing the upward spreading of an inadvertent fire in the wall.
Although prefabricated buildings are becoming more popular, a substantial number of buildings are still constructed with the individual wall components being delivered to the site and assembled at the site. This allows the building components to be subjected to the elements. This construction technique requires the workmen to work in the elements and is considered by many to be very inefficient. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel building wall framing module which can either be shipped to the site for assembly at the site or can be easily used to prefabricate a wall section that is shipped to the site.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular building unit of the type described which is self contained and includes provisions for the pre-installation and prefabrication of the insulation, wiring and plumbing and inner and outer panels which can be joined with other similarly constructed units to quickly and easily form a building wall.
Currently, the construction of a building with individual components delivered to a building site typically includes skilled carpenters who are relatively highly paid. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and novel module for constructing a building which will decrease the skill level required to assemble the building modules utilized to form a building wall.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a multi-sided hollow building wall unit which can be stacked with a plurality of identical units to form a building wall.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a multi-sided hollow building wall module including three panels each having a long edge and a short edge with the short edges being coupled together.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a triangularly shaped building wall unit having three angularly related panels having inner and outer surfaces and coupled together along their shorter edges to form a stackable unit which can be stacked with the exterior surfaces of the units in abutting relation.
The load bearing capabilities of a wall is always of importance. In many commercial building, steel roof systems are employed. The prior art studs typically comprise 2″×4″ or 2″×6″ wood or metal vertical load bearing unit. Metal studs typically include a C-shaped panel that has a tendency to twist about its longitudinal axis. Such C-shaped studs also bow, are hard to work with and are not highly fire rated. Such C-shaped studs have relatively low load bearing strength. Typically, masonry walls are required to provide sufficient load bearing characteristics to support such roof systems. Accordingly, it is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel building wall unit which can be assembled with other identical units to increase the load bearing characteristics of a building wall constructed with individual assembled building components.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular building wall module which can be stacked with other similar building wall modules to provide a strong construction having a substantial load bearing characteristic.
It has been found, according to the present invention, that a wall constructed of triangularly shaped building wall units, that the vertical load bearing capabilities of the wall is greatly increased compared to conventional construction. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel building wall unit for building a building wall which will have increased load bearing capabilities.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a triangularly shaped building wall unit which can be stacked atop other identically formed building wall units in a vertical plane to form a vertical building wall.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a triangularly shaped building wall unit which includes three panels having interior and exterior surfaces with the exterior surfaces of adjacent panels disposed in abutting relation.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide alignment members on each building unit for aiding the proper alignment of adjacent units in a wall built by unskilled workers.
Although the adjacent abutting surfaces of the triangularly shaped modules could be coupled together with screws, nails, rivets and other such fasteners to preclude their relative shifting, applicant's preferred embodiment includes a female recess in at least one of the three panels for receiving a complementally formed key for coupling to an adjacent module. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and novel triangularly shaped building module of the type described which includes a new and novel keyway for receiving a key to preclude lateral shifting of stacked modules out of the plane of the wall.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a triangularly shaped building wall module of the type described which includes a female recess in at least one of the three legs and a complementally formed male projection in another of the three legs for being received in the female recess in the abutting leg of an adjacent stacked module to preclude relative lateral shifting of the modules stacked together to form a wall.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a stackable triangular building wall unit of the type described wherein the apparatus for precluding relative shifting of the units comprises an elongated slot extending between the short ends of at least one of the panels and a complementally formed elongate rib in the exterior face of another of the panels.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel method of constructing a building wall.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel method of constructing a building wall.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel building wall constructed with a plurality of triangularly shaped stackable modules with the outer faces of adjacent panels disposed in abutting relation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel method of constructing a planar building wall with triangularly shaped building units stacked having exterior faces in abutting relation.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel triangularly shaped stackable building wall unit of the type described which has increased strength and yet is aesthetically pleasing, durable and economical to assemble.
Another object of the present invention is to provide anew and novel triangular shaped prefabricated stackable building wall unit of the type described including prefabricated provisions for electrical, telecommunications, plumbing, heating, venting and air conditioning roughed in for future typical field applications.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a prefabricated triangular building wall finished component that can be stacked with other similar building wall finished components to form a finished planar building wall.
Various patents have disclosed multi-sided elongate beams which are not stacked to form a wall such as that disclosed in the following patents:
Date of IssueInventorU.S. Pat. No.2,082,792Jun. 7, 1937A. G. Dean2,192,994Mar. 19, 1947F. Weever5,379,567Jun. 10, 1995Michael VaheyPCT InternationalPublication No.W088/05850Aug. 11, 1988Freeman, et al
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent as the description thereof proceeds: